AMP for Email Has Major Upsides for B2B Marketers

Posted by AIMG Marketing | February 28, 2018February 19, 2018

Google recently announced it is using the technology behind its Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) to make big changes to Gmail, and eventually, all email. The new feature is called AMP for Email and it will allow marketers to create dynamic, interactive emails.

These emails will let readers complete actions such as filling out a form or RSVP right in an email, as opposed to clicking a link and being taken to a website. There are many variations these new interactive capabilities could take.

Why Will AMP for Email Impact B2B Marketers So Much?

B2B marketers are uniquely positioned to feel the impact of AMP for Email. Generally speaking, CTRs are 47% higher for B2B email campaigns than B2C campaigns.1 On top of this, 86% of business professionals prefer email for communicating2, and email is the third most influential source of information for B2B audiences, behind only colleague recommendations and industry thought leaders3.

B2B marketing, broadly speaking, relies heavily on email marketing tactics, partially because over time it’s proven so effective in terms of ROI and lead generation. AMP for Email may eventually make big changes in the B2B world.

Nothing in the long-term is certain yet, but B2B marketers should keep track of the gradual release of this technology throughout 2018. Upon launch there will be a few stock items available for developers. You can view Google’s recently uploaded AMP for Email spec here. To summarize, there are a few basic things you can build within an email:

Forms

Dynamic scheduling and calendar updates

Interactive content

Widgets

Expandable mini-web pages

Automatically updating newsletter content

These aren’t the only capabilities available when AMP for Email launches, but they’re some of the most significant technological updates.

The Huge Potential of AMP for Email in B2B Marketing

At the time of launch, AMP for Email will be a powerful new tool for B2B marketers. One of the crucial benefits AMP for Email provides is minimizing the barriers to conversion. By embedding forms directly in an email, marketers are reducing the number of steps a recipient has to take to convert. While that’s not a comprehensive lead generation solution, in some instances it may be the difference between a conversion and a lost opportunity.

AMP for Email will almost certainly boost engagement with emails too. This will be especially true while the technology is still new. The main benefit of AMP for Email, however, is the potential for far higher personalization in emails.

Segmented email campaigns, or email campaigns with at least some degree of personalization, see a 100.95% increase in clicks compared to non-segmented email campaigns4. Personalization drives incredible return for email marketing initiatives, and with new AMP technology, emails could be more personal than ever before.

Here’s a brief example of what may be possible one day: a marketing agency builds a return on marketing investment (ROMI) calculator for internal marketing purposes. Theoretically, the ROMI calculator could be embedded in an email with AMP technology (if not the whole thing when AMP launches, then at least the first page or two). Email recipients could interact with the calculator, filling out information such as contact rates, lead rates and close rates. The marketing company could see this information, then segment email recipients based on their answers. If a few hundred people entered very low lead rates, they could be segmented into an automated workflow focused on fixing low lead rates.

People care about emails that talk about what they’re interested in, as evidenced by the difference in clicks for segmented and non-segmented email campaigns. Relevancy and personalization make your emails stand out in cluttered inboxes, and AMP for Email will likely be a great way to personalize email marketing campaigns.

AMP for Email will be a powerful new marketing tool for B2B marketers who already rely heavily on email marketing tactics to generate leads. This technology opens up entirely new possibilities for personalized, dynamic and interactive emails.

B2B marketers should keep an eye on the gradual rollout of AMP for Email throughout the year. Upon launch, it will be a valuable new marketing asset.